Lady Tiger Soccer Team to Open ACC Play Thursday Night Against Maryland

Sept. 26, 2007

Clemson, SC – The 14th-ranked Clemson women’s soccer team will open the Atlantic Coast Conference season on Thursday evening against Maryland. The contest between the Lady Tigers and the Terrapins is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at Riggs Field.

The Lady Tigers won two matches last week, including a 1-0 upset over seventh-ranked South Carolina at home. Sophomore Molly Franklin scored the game-winning goal in the 72nd minute of play to defeat the Gamecocks on Friday evening. On Sunday afternoon, Clemson won an 8-0 decision over Wofford in which six different players scored goals for the Lady Tigers.

Clemson’s All-American goalkeeper Ashley Phillips has allowed just one goal in over 515 minutes of play this season for a 0.17 goals-against average. The senior has 23 saves and a 0.958 save percentage in the seven matches she has played in so far this season.

The Lady Tigers are led in scoring by Franklin, who has two goals and eight assists for 12 points through eight matches. Franklin is currently ranked in a tie for first in the NCAA in assists per game with a 1.0 average. Freshman Samantha Fortier and senior Nuria Zufia lead Clemson in goals with four apiece, while red-shirt senior Courtney Foster has three goals and four assists on the season.

Maryland has a 4-1-2 overall record, most recently tying Kent State by a score of 1-1 in two overtimes. The Terrapins are led in scoring by red-shirt junior Nataly Arias who has scored three goals in seven matches. Maryland’s freshman goalkeeper, Wendy Balogun, has posted 21 saves and allowed just four goals in nearly 693 minutes played.

Clemson has a 7-9-1 record in the series against the Terrapins. In 2006, the Lady Tigers recorded their first win over Maryland since the 2000 season with a 1-0 overtime victory in College Park, MD. Zufia broke the scoreless tie with a goal in the 98th minute of play and was assisted by Julie Bolt on the goal.

Thursday night’s game between Clemson and Maryland will be broadcast live on the Internet via ACC Select. Fans can watch the action by clicking on the link below. For more information, visit ACCSelect.com.

Watch Clemson vs. Maryland Live!

Live statistics for the match will also be available on www.clemsontigers.com. The statistics can be accessed by selecting the corresponding Gametracker link in the schedule window on www.clemsontigers.com.